The first record I ever listened to was Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. I was six and lucky to experience The Beatles at such a young age. I sat and listened to the entire album from start to finish, then listened to it again. And again. The Beatles have been a part of my life since some of my first memories. So for me, The Beatles: Rock Band is the ultimate gift, crafted for anyone who loves the Fab Four. There's a care and attention you won't see from Activision's Metallica or Aerosmith one-offs. This is a labor of love.

But as you can tell, it's special to me because The Beatles have a place in my heart. First and foremost, you have to like The Beatles to even bother with the third iteration in the Rock Band series. After all, there are only 45 songs on disc, all of them coming from The Beatles' brief but prolific recording career. The Beatles: Rock Band can't interface with the previous two games and all upcoming Beatles downloadable content is only usable with this game. It is a singular entity -- a sort of private Hall of Fame for the greatest band that ever lived.

Limited Edition Content

The $250 box set for The Beatles: Rock Band comes with the game (which retails for $59.99), a set of Ringo-styled drums, a wired mic, a mic stand, some postcards of The Beatles, and a very attractive replica of Paul McCartney's Hofner bass. It's basically what you get with Rock Band 2, only with a bonus mic stand and an extra $60 slapped onto the price. That's right, you get the same basic set for $60 more because it's got The Beatles license.

Had the Limited Edition come with a second guitar or three wireless mics, perhaps the price would be justified. But this is plain and simple a rip off. Ringo's drums don't look that great and the lack of a wireless mic is a real shocker. The only thing commendable about this set is the amazing reproduction of McCartney's bass guitar. The body is absolutely gorgeous. This is, without question, the coolest looking plastic guitar so far released by any music game. It looks great, but unfortunately, it plays poorly.

No advancements have been made from the previous Rock Band 2 guitar. The buttons are loose, the strum bar still feels mushy and it just doesn't feel right in my hands. The only smart thing done with this version is that tapping the Start button won't pause the game. Instead you have to hold the button for a few seconds, preventing accidental pausing during play. There are also a set of buttons at the base of the neck for solos, but they're hardly good enough to merit the cover price.

Normally, Limited Edition packages receive the same score as the normal games. That's because the software is the star and these bonus items don't really change what is on disc. The Beatles Limited Edition breaks that standard. This set is so overpriced and the guitars functionality so mediocre, that I could not possibly leave this at the disc's original 9.0 score. I've dropped the final score on this set a full point, in hopes of warning people off. If you need instruments, consider purchasing some from Activision's Guitar Hero series, which are compatible with The Beatles: Rock Band.

You can hop right in to Quickplay (online or offline) and enjoy the full track list (minus one song), if you like. There are no costumes to unlock, no characters to create. You play as The Beatles and their hair styles and wardrobe change to match the look from when a particular song was first played. This lack of customization might bum some folks who've grown accustomed to making an outlandish band, but after playing through The Beatles: Rock Band, I think removing these options is one of the better decisions Harmonix made. While playing "Get Back" on my plastic guitar, I never once thought, "If only Paul had a Viking helmet and an eye patch." In eight years, The Beatles not only made dramatic changes in their music, but in their appearance. It's actually just as stunning to see the evolution of their look as it is to experience the growth of their musicianship.

The focus of most people's initial playtime will be the Story mode. This takes you through The Beatles' career, from their early days at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England to their final performance on the rooftop of Apple Corps. You only need to play each song once, rather than the traditional Rock Band formula of recycling songs to extend your playtime. This is the best way to allow people to see the changes that occurred over The Beatles' all-too-brief career.

In their earliest phase, The Beatles were nothing more than a boy band. Sure, they had charisma and talent, but they weren't pushing music to new limits. The songs in this era are catchy tunes, fairly easy to play, and fun at parties. From The Cavern Club, The Beatles move on to the Ed Sullivan Show. Beatlemania has hit -- and you really get that sense playing in Shea Stadium and Budokan.

Would you let one of these guys hold your hand?

If you turn on the "realistic" option in the menu, the crowd's volume is pumped up to the point that you can barely hear some of the lyrics amidst the screams of teenage girls. The stadiums have been faithfully recreated and there are some great reactions from the audience as well as the overwhelmed police officers tasked with containing the crowd. It's a little odd that Japan's Nippon Budokan stadium is filled with American teenagers, but The Beatles: Rock Band isn't striving for perfect historical accuracy. The scenes in these arenas is enough to make anyone realize why The Beatles felt they had to give up touring. Who could create great music when girls shriek every time Paul bobs his head?